Chapter 3 - The Backup Plan
Julian froze in the middle of the living room.
He stared at my pocket in absolute disbelief.
"I thought you smashed it!" Chloe yelled at him hysterically.
I pulled the ringing phone from my jacket pocket and answered it on speakerphone.
It was not the device Julian had smashed upstairs in the bathroom.
That had been my personal cell phone.
This was my encrypted government-issued device, heavily shielded against civilian signal jammers.
"Elena, the protective order is signed," Judge Thorne's voice echoed through the silent living room.
"State Troopers are exactly two minutes away from your location."
Julian's face turned completely pale as the reality of the situation crashed over him.
Chloe screamed and ran frantically toward the back door of the kitchen.
"You ruined everything!" Julian roared, charging directly toward me.
I did not back down this time.
I grabbed a heavy glass vase from the coffee table and smashed it aggressively across his jaw.
Julian stumbled backward and crashed onto the floor, clutching his bleeding face.
I grabbed my mother's hand and pulled her urgently toward the front door.
We burst out onto the front porch just as the red and blue lights of police cruisers illuminated the dark street.
Four heavily armed State Troopers ran up the driveway with their weapons drawn.
I pointed toward the open front door and identified Julian as the attacker.
Two troopers rushed inside the house to secure my bleeding brother.
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The lead trooper approached me, but he did not lower his weapon.
He aimed his pistol directly at my chest and told me I was under arrest for grand larceny.
